Don’t Wake Up
Author(s): Liz Lawler

A harrowing psychological thriller debut about a woman who awakens after an assault with no physical proof of the attack and who must try to convince everyone of what really happened.

When Dr. Alex Taylor opens her eyes, she is hooked up to an IV, is bound to an operating table, and her legs are raised in stirrups. Disoriented and alarmed, she assumes she’s been anesthetized and brought to surgery after being in an accident. But the man standing over her, with his face hidden behind a surgical mask and wielding instruments, is no doctor she recognizes at the hospital where she works as a successful and respected doctor. Hes a strangerand hes calmly and methodically telling her how he’s about to attack her. Before Alex can even scream for help, she succumbs to another dose of anesthesia, rendering her unable to defend herself.

When she comes to on a gurney, she finds herself surrounded by her colleagues and immediately reports the attack and rape. The police are skeptical of her bizarre story. And after a physical exam reveals no proof of any attack, even her boyfriend has doubts. Despite Alex’s adamant claims, no one believes her, leaving her to wonder if she has, in fact, lost her mind.

Until she meets the next victim

An edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller, Don’t Wake Up is also a provocative, timely exploration of victimhood, abuse, and the discrediting of women in our culture.

Review(s):
A compelling read with believable, memorable characters and an exciting setting that will appeal to fans of Greys Anatomy and psychological thrillers like Alice LaPlantes Turn of Mind.
an intense first novel . . . Lawler creates a diverse cast of characters and toggles between them seamlessly to create an exciting narrative, from the police chief inexplicably drawn to help Alex to the officer determined to lock her up. Readers will look forward to her next psychological thriller.
Lawlers disturbing, unconventional, and often distressing debut successfully examines the struggle for credibility even the most successful and respected women face when reporting a crime. Fans of dark psychological thrillers will find this one hard to put down.
A startling, gripping debut about a woman who wakes up to find shes being operated on by a stranger who is certainly not a medical professional, then cant convince anyone that the attack was real. Dont Wake Up is a penetrating, spine-chilling debut that explores issues of trauma, disbelief, communication, and power, all set within a genuinely page-turning story of suspense.

ISBN:9780062876133